Photoshop Color Settings, sRGB + Washed out image

[dlparisi]

For some time now I've noticed that if I save a jpg out of the VFB and open it in photoshop I get a washed out image. It's not drastic but the blackest blacks are only a dark grey when compared to the frame buffer image and it looks like there's a slight haze over the image.

I had my color settings in Photoshop set to NA General Purpose 2 but with all three profile check boxes checked. So when I open a saved jpg it prompts me to accept the sRGB profile resulting in a washed out image. If I opt for the Adobe RGB profile the resulting image looks pretty close to the frame buffer "original" but I can't be sure because I'm just doing it by eye. Alternatively if I save out an exr, when I open that it looks exactly the same as the FB, even if I convert it to 8bit in sRGB space.

For the time being I'm setting my color settings to NA PrePress which uses the Adobe RGB profile but with this setting I'm noticing that some of my renders are looking a litle oversaturated.

So what do you all use for your color settings in photoshop and do you encounter any of the problems I've described? Any help's much appreciated.

[bakbek]

having similar issues, and this is the thread i started about it. still trying to work this out...

http://www.chaosgroup.com/forums/vbu...ad.php?t=40459

[dlparisi]

I don't think my problem is the same as yours but I think I've figured out what I'm doing wrong. It's basically a result of my misunderstanding of color management in photoshop (and windows for that matter).

When I was opening a saved vfb jpg image in photoshop it was prompting me to assign a profile. Since my monitor is calibrated to 2.2 and I usually have the color mapping gamma set to 2.2 I thought I was saving out a sRGB image from the VFB, so I would chose assign sRGB as the profile. WRONG, WRONG, WRONG. The image is not sRGB, nor is it Adobe RGB, nor anything else. By assigning the sRGB profile it was incorrectly interpreting the colors thus making the images a little washed out (and conversely making them a little too saturated if I chose Adobe RGB.)

In order to "solve" this problem, I have discovered the "monitor" gamma profile that was created during the calibration. I ASSIGN this profile when I open the image and then CONVERT that profile to either sRGB or Adobe RGB (or whatever else). Doing it this way, the image in photoshop matches exactly to the VFB as best I can tell. I think this is correct but there's very little info out there on color managing rendered images rather than photos from a digital camera. I could have just stumbled upon a workflow that gets me closer to the VFB but is just coincidental. For the time being I think this works great for me and am happy with the results.

So in short I have it set up to Assign a monitor profile upon open and automatically convert it to my working color space (Adobe RGB for a large color space vs. sRGB). Anyone have anything to add?

[dlparisi]

If anyone cares (why am I talking to myself?), I ditched the Adobe RGB profile in lieu of standard sRGB as it appears that a jpg saved with an Adobe rgb profile appears incorrect (duller) on everyone else's (read non-photoshop) screen. I am still very happy with the matches I'm getting between the FB and Photoshop as it didn't seem to change this.

[re:FORM]

Yep, I have the same problem here. You can actually see the difference when copying the VrayFB to the MaxFB, so its not a photoshop issue, it is definately related to the VrayFB.... at least it seems that way to me!

Help us vlado, you're our only hope!

[vlado]

The V-Ray VFB applies an sRGB correction to the colors, whereas photoshop may be applying a simple gamma curve. The difference between the two corrections is not great, but is noticeable, especially in the dark regions of an image.

Best regards,
Vlado

[re:FORM]

But it's not just photoshop, its the maxFB, windows preview, and any other viewer I have tried.

Why does the colour shift occur when I copy the VFB into a maxFB? Perhaps the vray or max gamma sRGB corrections don't match?

[vlado]

Why does the colour shift occur when I copy the VFB into a maxFB? Perhaps the vray or max gamma sRGB corrections don't match?

V-Ray applies an sRGB transformation; 3ds Max applies a gamma curve. There is a small, but important difference between the two, and it is this difference that you are seeing.

Best regards,
Vlado